Karl Rove

 Republican political strategist Karl Christian Rove, best known as President George W. Bush's top advisor, earned him the nickname "Bush's Brain."

Rove, appointed as Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President by Bush during his first term, announced on August 13, 2007, that he will be resigning on August 31, 2007, allegedly to give more time to his family. He was replaced September 4, 2007, by his long-time deputy, Barry Jackson.

Rove is "joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of the administration. ... Among those who have left are White House counselor Dan Bartlett, budget director Rob Portman, chief White House attorney Harriet Miers, political director Sara Taylor, deputy national security adviser J.D. Crouch and Meghan O'Sullivan, another deputy national security adviser who worked on Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was forced out immediately after the election as the unpopular war in Iraq dragged on."

On April 19, 2006, Rove "gave up his responsibilities as chief policy coordinator, a position he assumed" in February 2005 "that strengthened his influence over matters ranging from homeland security and domestic policy to the economy and national security," Terence Hunt reported for the Associated Press.

Rove's responsibilites "shift[ed] to" Joel Kaplan, "who was promoted to deputy chief of staff from the No. 2 job in the White House budget office where he had served" under Joshua B. Bolten, who took over April 14, 2006, as Bush's Chief of Staff "with authority to do whatever he deemed necessary to stabilize Bush's presidency, and he has moved quickly with changes," Hunt wrote.


 * Advisory Board, George W. Bush Institute

Early Years
Rove was born December 25, 1950, in Denver, Colorado. Although he attended the University of Utah, the University of Texas at Austin and George Mason University, he does not hold a degree. Rove reportedly dropped out of the University of Utah to become the executive director of the College Republican National Committee (CRNC) from 1970-1972." In 1973, Rove  ran for chair of the College Republicans and, in doing so, threw the national convention into disarray by challenging the front-runner’s delegates.  Both Rove and his opponent, Robert Edgeworth, claimed victory. The dispute was resolved when Rove was selected through the direct order of the chairman of the Republican National Committee, who at the time was George H W Bush.

Robert Bryce wrote in the Austin Chronicle in March 2000, that Rove, "an avid student of history, ... probably knows more about the American political process than many college professors. Despite that fact, Rove has never had time to finish his college degree. Over the past three decades, he has attended nearly half a dozen colleges, and he's currently within spitting distance of getting his degree in political science at UT. He has been provisionally accepted into the school's doctoral program in government." 
 * Video of Rove being interviewed while working on the 1972 Nixon campaign, YouTube.

Texas Work
Slowly working his way up the political ladder doing campaign work for a number of Texas Republicans, Rove earned a reputation of being a shrewd political strategist. In 1980, he ran George Herbert Walker Bush's unsuccessful primary campaign for president against Ronald Reagan. He also worked for Senator Phil Gramm.

He founded a political consulting firm, Karl Rove & Company, in Austin, Texas in 1981. Rove helped George W. Bush win the Texas gubernatorial election in 1994. Then served as chief strategists for Bush's presidential campaign in 2000.

During Roves years in Texas, he earn a reputation for being a savage political strategist, willing to engage in dirty tricks. Some of the tricks associated with Rove have been detailed by journalists James Moore and Wayne Slater in their book Bush's Brain.

Austin Chronicle's Robert Bryce wrote in 2000 that "Rove has the same killer quality that [Republican strategist] Lee Atwater had. He's super-confident, and a bit of a show-off. He loves to recount facts and figures regarding delegates, historical vote counts, and presidential election strategies from the past 100 years. That pedantic style, combined with lots of winning campaigns, has made him, without doubt, the most powerful political consultant in Texas. And although many politicos look to him for guidance, he denies that consultants create an image for a candidate. 'That assumes you can fool everybody,' he told [Bryce] during an interview several years ago, 'that the masses are asses. People are pretty damn smart. What you've got to do is present your case in the best light possible, with credibility and integrity.'"

According to one online biography, "He previously served as a member of the Board of International Broadcasting, which oversees operations of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and served on the board of the McDonald Observatory. Rove also taught at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and in the Journalism Department at the University of Texas at Austin." Another biography credits Rove with have a broad range of clients, including, "over 75 Republican U.S. Senate, Congressional and gubernatorial candidates in 24 states, as well as the Moderate Party of Sweden." 

Involvement with the Tobacco Industry
Karl Rove was a paid consultant to Philip Morris from 1991 to 1996, earning $3,000 a month from the relationship. His contact for payment at Philip Morris was Hartina Fluornoy. Rove continued his relationship with Philip Morris while he was an advisor to then Texas Governor George W. Bush.  at Page 5

A February 15, 2000 article from the New York Times revealed that Rove, helped draft a 1996 push poll against then-Texas Attorney General Dan Morales in an attempt to pressure Morales out of filing a lawsuit against the major American Tobacco companies. The push poll was financed by tobacco companies. According to the article, George W. Bush, then Governor of Texas, threatened to fire any campaign staffer found to be involved with push polls. Bush's spokesman, Ari Fleisher, denied that Mr. Rove was involved in drafting the poll questions, saying Rove only reviewed a fifth draft of the survey. But in a deposition given in 1997, Rove admitted he had offered suggestions about the poll's questions.

Despite this, Karl Rove was never fired. Rove has knowledge of tobacco industry lobbbying tactics employed in the state of Texas.

White House Years
Karl Rove accompanied his candidate George Walker Bush to Washington in 2001. Rove became Bush's number one advisor, being given a newly created position Special Advisor to the President. During Bush's first term, Rove was credited with influencing and shaping White House policy to best support the President's reelection bid. At the time, he managed "the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison and the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the White House." 

Although he was never directly implicated, fingers in Washington pointed on several occasions at Rove as the source of underhanded stunts to discredit and undermine critics of Bush. In particular, the American Prospect's   Murray Waas ties Rove to the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame in retaliation for her husband Joseph Wilson's exposure of White House exaggerations concerning the nuclear threat posed by Iraq. 

In February 2005, Rove was appointed deputy White House chief of staff. In his new role, Rove's responsibilities include coordinating policy between the White House Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.

Capitol Hill Blue attributes a White House aid as asserting that “Karl (Rove) operates under the rule that if you fuck with us, we’ll fuck you over.” ,

Social Security
One of Rove's new jobs was orchestrating the campaign to sell Bush's top domestic policy issue: Social Security privatization. The Hill reported in March 2005 that Rove had met with business lobbyists friendly with the administration to coordinate the push for personal retirement accounts.

"I don't think there is any question that Karl Rove is masterminding the whole Social Security strategy," Stephen Moore, president of the Washington-based Free Enterprise Fund, which backs private savings accounts, told Bloomberg News. "The White House feels it can't afford to lose on this." 

Democratic Response to 9/11
In a June 22, 2005 speech to the New York Conservative Party Rove argued that the starkest illustration of the differences between conservative and liberal values was in the response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. "Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers," he said.

"In the wake of 9/11, conservatives believed it was time to unleash the might and power of the United States military against the Taliban; in the wake of 9/11, liberals believed it was time to… submit a petition. I am not joking. Submitting a petition is precisely what Moveon.org did. It was a petition imploring the powers that be to 'use moderation and restraint in responding to the… terrorist attacks against the United States'," he said. 

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Bush administration phony 'voter fraud'
 * Bush administration U.S. attorney firings controversy
 * Bush regime
 * Bush-Cheney '04 Inc.
 * Gannongate
 * gwb43.com
 * Jeff Gannon
 * Karl Rove & Co.
 * Karl Rove: Hurricane Katrina Reconstruction "Czar"
 * Karl Rove: Outing Valerie Plame
 * Mayberry Machiavellis
 * Office of Strategic Initiatives
 * Susan B. Ralston
 * Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Republican Connection
 * The case for impeachment of President George W. Bush
 * Treasongate: Beyond Karl Rove
 * Trial of Scooter Libby

2006

 * Fred Barnes "A 'Third Term' for Bush", Wall Street Journal, Monday March 20, 2006, p. A16. Barnes suggests a major shakeup at the White House, sending Rove to chair the Republican National Committee.
 * Murray Waas, "Insulating Bush," National Journal, March 30, 2006.
 * Dan Froomkin, "A Compelling Story," White House Watch Blog/Washington Post, March 31, 2006.
 * David Corn, "Rove on the Stand?" The Nation, April 18, 2006.
 * Terence Hunt, "Rove Surrenders Some Control in Shake-Up," Associated Press, April 20, 2006.
 * Editorial: "More window dressing?" San Francisco Chronicle, April 20, 2006.
 * Jason Leopold, "Grand Jury Hears Evidence Against Rove," truthout, April 20, 2006.
 * Adam Harvey, "Gaffes force shake-up," Herald Sun (Australia), April 21, 2006.
 * "West Wing wipe-out," The Daily Telegraph (Australia), April 21, 2006.
 * Geoff Elliott, "Rove latest casualty in Bush purge," The Australian, April 21, 2006.
 * James C. Moore, "The President's Magician, Karl Rove, Has Lost His Magic," The Independent (UK) (Al-Jazeerah), April 24, 2006.
 * John King, "Sources: Rove testifying again in CIA leak case. Bush political adviser appears before grand jury for 5th time," CNN, April 26, 2006.
 * "Top White House aide Rove to testify in leak case," Reuters (ABC News), April 26, 2006.
 * "Breaking: Rove Meeting With Special Prosecutor About Leak Case," Think Progress, April 26, 2006.
 * "Flashback: What Now, Karl? Clues from the past about Rove's present date with the grand jury," Village Voice, April 26, 2006.
 * Sidney Blumenthal, "White House Snow job. Tony Snow, Fox News star, begins as the new White House press secretary on the day Karl Rove is called back to the federal grand jury," Guardian Unlimited (UK), April 26, 2006.
 * "Fitzmas revisited?" The Carpetbagger Report, April 26, 2006.
 * Philo, "Sinking feeling or Why the GOP always wins," Emboldened/Baltimore Group Blog, April 26, 2006.
 * Jane Hamsher, "Yeah I Got Your Spin Right Here," Firedoglake, April 26, 2006.
 * Elisabeth Bumiller and David Johnston, "Prosecutor Weighs Charges Against Rove in Leak Case," New York Times, April 28, 2006.
 * Jane Hamsher, "Late Nite FDL: How Big Are Your Chances, Karl?" Firedoglake, May 1, 2006.
 * "Shuster: Prosecutors may have more on Rove," Crooks and Liars, May 5, 2006. QT and WMP links.
 * Scott Harris, Interview with Jason Leopold: "BTL:Special Prosecutor Seeking to Indict Karl Rove in CIA Leak Case" Between the Lines (WPKN Radio 89.5 FM Bridgeport, Connecticut) posted by IndyBay.org, May 5, 2006.
 * Jim VandeHei, "Rove's Time in Limbo Near End in CIA Leak Case," Washington Post, May 8, 2006.
 * "Shuster: Rove likely going to be indicted," Crooks and Liars, May 8, 2006. QT and WMP links.
 * John Whitesides, "Rove: Iraq war feeds public's 'sour' mood," Reuters (Boston Globe), May 15, 2006.
 * Tom Raum, "Rove Blames Iraq War for Low Bush Numbers," Associated Press (San Francisco Chronicle), May 15, 2006.
 * "AP uncritically reported Rove's false claim that Bush's favorability ratings are in the 60s," Media Matters for America, May 15, 2006.
 * "Bush disapproval blamed on war," Associated Press (The Calgary Sun (Canada)), May 16, 2006.
 * E.J. Dionne, Jr., "Rove vs. Reality," Washington Post, May 16, 2006.
 * Michael McAuliff, "Karl dreaming if he thinks W beloved, say pundits," New York Daily News, May 16, 2006.
 * Murray Waas, "Rove-Novak Call Was Concern to Leak Investigators," National Journal, May 25, 2006.
 * Shane Harris and Murray Waas, "Justice Department Probe Foiled" National Journal, May 25, 2006.
 * Mike Gehrke, "Karl Rove Taking Bullets?" Senate Majority Project, June 13, 2006: ""Except for a lapse of several months, Selective Service records show presidential adviser Karl Rove escaped the draft for nearly three years at the height of the Vietnam War using student deferments."
 * Jim VandeHei and Dan Balz, "Fall Elections Are Rove's Next Test. Reputation as Architect of Victory at Stake," Washington Post, June 16, 2006.
 * David Fickling, "Columnist names White House adviser in spy scandal," Guardian Unlimited (UK), July 12, 2006.
 * "Columnist says he revealed 3 sources in leak testimony," Washington Post (Boston Globe), July 12, 2006.
 * James Hensen, Book Review: "James Moore and Wayne Slater's 'The Architect: Karl Rove and the Master Plan for Absolute Power'," The American-Statesman, September 2, 2006.
 * Eric Mink, "I'm sorry Karl Rove . . .," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 13, 2006.
 * Richard Wolffe, "In Rove's Footsteps. They learned from the master, and are applying the lessons in the hottest races ahead. Meet the architect's protégés," Newsweek (MSNBC), October 2, 2006. re Scott Howell, Todd Olsen, Terry Nelson, Ken Mehlman, Sara Taylor
 * Ryan Lizza, "How Rove Twisted Foley's Arm," The Plank Blog/The New Republic Online, October 12, 2006. re Mark Foley page scandal
 * Joe Sudbay, "Is there a Rove-Mehlman power struggle for control of the GOP campaign operation?" AMERICAblog, October 16, 2006.
 * Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten, "GOP at a loss? Karl Rove has an 11th-hour plan to win. He taps government resources to boost candidates in need," Los Angeles Times (posted at Newsday, reposted by The Raw Story), October 29, 2006.
 * Sidney Blumenthal, "To stay the wrong course. Karl Rove's short-term political ploys have undermined long-term Republican possibilities," comment is free ..."/The Guardian'' (UK), November 2, 2006.
 * Faiz Shakir, "Lott Attacks Rove, Says 'I've Had Problems With Some Of His Conduct'," Think Progress, November 26, 2006. re Trent Lott
 * "Karl Rove's Split Personality," Vanity Fair, December 2006.
 * Kenneth T. Walsh, "Behind the Scenes, Rove Influence Hasn't Waned," U.S. News & World Report, December 20, 2006.
 * Sean-Paul Kelly, "Karl Rove Leaving As Soon As January?" The Agonist, December 23, 2006. re John Thomas Schieffer

2007

 * "Libby: White House sacrificed him for Rove. Fitzgerald says Libby lied about Cheney; first witness takes stand," MSNBC, January 23, 2007.
 * Josh Gerstein, "Libby Defense Points Finger At Karl Rove," New York Sun, January 24, 2007.
 * Michael Isikoff, "Will Rove Testify?" Newsweek (MSNBC), January 26, 2007.
 * Chris Weigant, "How Congress Will Stop the War in Iraq," The Huffington Post, January 31, 2007.
 * "The Libby Trial: Time Magazine Reporter Testifies Karl Rove First Revealed Identity of CIA Operative Valerie Plame," Democracy Now!, February 1, 2007.
 * "White House 'red-faced' over Rove remark," Think Progress, February 9, 2007.
 * Mike Sheehan, "Libby trial: Rove 'unlikely' to testify; Armitage heard 'outing' Plame; Fleischer 'helps, hurts' defense," The Raw Story, February 12, 2007.
 * "Karl Rove addresses Republican gathering in Springfield," WQAD.com (Moline, IL), February 12, 2007.
 * "Karl Rove Already Tired of 2008 Race," NewsMax, February 13, 2007.
 * Matt Apuzzo, "Libby Trial Offers Little on Rove Theory," Associated Press (Washington Post), February 15, 2007.
 * Faiz Shakir, "Why Did Rove Receive A Copy Of A Secret Iranian Proposal For Negotiations In 2003?" Think Progress, February 16, 2007.
 * Gareth Porter, "Rove Said to Have Received Iranian Proposal in 2003. Who else in the Bush administration was aware of the secret proposal?" Inter Press Service (AlterNet), February 20, 2007.
 * Peter Hannaford, "Karl Rove Was Wrong," The American Spectator, February 20, 2007.
 * "Rudy Giuliani - Rising from the ashes," The New Zealand Herald, February 24, 2007: Rudy Giuliani "has also signed up Chris Henick, deputy to Bush's political guru Karl Rove."
 * Adam Cohen, Opinion: "Why Have So Many U.S. Attorneys Been Fired? It Looks a Lot Like Politics," New York Times, February 26, 2007.
 * "Ex-Congressional Aide: Karl Rove Personally Received (And Ignored) Iranian Peace Offer in 2003," Democracy Now!, February 26, 2007.
 * Faiz Shakir, "White House 'Reprimanded Swiss Ambassador' For Delivering 2003 Iranian Offer For Negotiations," Think Progress, February 26, 2007.
 * "Rove Speaks On Communication At Texas State," NBC News KXAN.com (TX), February 27, 2007.
 * "You Tube is a distraction," Think Progress, February 27, 2007.
 * Mark Follman, "Inside Bush's prosecutor purge. Why has the administration fired U.S. attorneys with sterling track records? To make room for its political loyalists, critics say, and exert its last shred of control," Salon, February 28, 2007.
 * John Aravosis, "Where has Karl gone?" AMERICAblog, February 28, 2007.
 * Cliff Schecter, "Karl Rove Must Go to Prison," The Huffington Post, March 17, 2007.
 * Elizabeth de la Vega, "Karl Rove's Danse Macabre," TomDispatch.com, April 3, 2007. Intro by Tom Engelhardt.
 * Laurie David and Sheryl Crowe, "Karl Rove Gets Thrown Under the Stop Global Warming Bus," The Huffington Post, April 22, 2007.
 * Tom Hamburger, "Low-key office launches high-profile inquiry. The Office of Special Counsel will investigate U.S. attorney firings and other political activities led by Karl Rove," Los Angeles Times, April 24, 2007. See Office of Special Counsel for details.
 * Citra Ragavan, "Rove Is at Center of New Legal Probe," U.S. News & World Report, April 24, 2007.
 * David Corn, "Rove's Newest Investigator Is Under Investigation," The Nation, April 24, 2007.
 * Nico Pitney, "Iglesias Reveals He Filed Complaint Against Rove, Leading To Special Counsel Probe," Think Progress, April 24, 2007.
 * Jonathan Stein, "Rove Finally Under Investigation," MoJoBlog/MotherJones, April 24, 2007.
 * Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman, "Are Rove's missing e-mails the smoking guns of the stolen 2004 election?" The Free Press, April 25, 2007.
 * Editorial: "PowerPoint Politicking on the Job," New York Times, April 25, 2007.
 * Paul Kiel, "Today's Must Read," TPMmuckraker, April 26, 2007.
 * Garrett Epps, "Karl Rove's big election-fraud hoax. Republican manipulation of the polls long predates the U.S. attorneys plot -- and the U.S. voting system needs an overhaul," Salon, May 10, 2007.
 * Murray Waas, "Administration Withheld E-mails About Rove," National Journal, May 10, 2007.
 * Adam Zagorin, "Rove Named in Alabama Controversy," TIME Magazine, June 1, 2007.
 * Satyam Khanna, "Rove: ‘I Make No Apologies’ For Any Of Administration’s Mistakes Or Lies," Think Progress, July 9, 2007.
 * Matt Corley, "Rove: Iraq Will Not Be A Big Issue In The Next Election," Think Progress, July 9, 2007.
 * citizen92, "Rove's Office, a dead Arkansas AUSA and Bud Cummins," The Daily Kos, July 31, 2007.
 * "Karl Rove to Resign," Think Progress, August 13, 2007.
 * "Statement From Ambassador Joseph Wilson On Resignation Of White House Deputy Chief Of Staff Karl Rove," BuzzFlash, August 13, 2007.
 * Paul Kiel, "The Mark of Rove," TPMmuckaker, August 13, 2007.
 * Matt Corley, "Karl Rove’s Record Of Failed Predictions" and "Media Gushes Over Rove: ‘Superstar,’ ‘Boy Genius,’ ‘The Mastermind Behind Everything’," Think Progress, August 13, 2007.
 * Amanda Terkel, "Rove: My ‘Worst’ Mistake Was ‘Saying Something Unkind’ To A Colleague," Think Progress, August 18, 2007.
 * citizen92, "Karl Rove is a Texas Scofflaw," The Daily Kos, August 18, 2007.
 * John Solomon, Alec McGillis, and Sarah Cohen, "How Rove Directed Federal Assets for GOP Gains. Bush Adviser's Effort to Promote the President and His Allies Was Unprecedented in Its Reach," Washington Post, August 19, 2007.
 * Joe Sudbay, "McCain confirms Rove oversaw Iraq strategy," AMERICAblog, August 19, 2007.
 * Marcy Wheeler (emptywheel), "Another Turdblossom Smear," Firedoglake Blog, August 19, 2007.
 * Matt Corley, "Cooper Contradicts Rove: He’s ‘Dissembling’ With ‘Nonsense’ About The Plame Leak," Think Progress, August 19, 2007.
 * Faiz Shakir, "Rove On Whether He’ll Answer Questions About His Potentially Illegal Acts: ‘Nice Try’," Think Progress, August 19, 2007.
 * Howard Kurtz, "Karl Rove, Insider With an Outsize Reputation," Washington Post, August 20, 2007.
 * John Bruhns, "Bush's Brain," AMERICAblog, August 20, 2007.
 * Arianna Huffington, "Connect the Dots: Karl Rove's Politics Uber Alles Strategy and the Utah Mine Disaster," The Huffington Post, August 20, 2007.
 * Matt Corley, "Claiming He Failed ‘Reporting 101,’ Wallace Attacks Moyers To Defend Rove," Think Progress, August 26, 2007.

2008

 * Dan Froomkin, "What Karl Rove Fears the Most," Washington Post, May 2, 2008.
 * Murray Waas, "U.S. Attorney Probe Enters White Hosue Circle," Huffington Post, August 7, 2008.
 * Murray Waas, "The Dog Days of Summer and Executive Privilege," personal blog, August 7, 2008.
 * Murray Waas, "New Justice Department Push to Keep Bush Aides From Testifying," Huffington Post, August 19, 2008.
 * Murray Waas & Justin Rood, "Report: White House Inolved in U.S. Attorney Firings," ABCNews.com, Sept. 29, 2008.

2009

 * Murray Waas,"Attorney: Rove Will Cooperate with DOJ Probes," TPM Muckraker, Feb. 2, 2009.
 * Damozel, "Rove to Cooperate...Or Not? Who Knows!" Buck Naked Politics, Feb. 3, 2009.
 * Murray Waas, "U.S. Attorney Scandal: Feds Probe Domenici For Obstruction of Justice," TPM Muckraker, Feb. 4, 2009.
 * Murray Waas, "The Big Stone Wall: Nine Bush-Era Officials Refused to Cooperate With DOJ Probes," TPM Muckraker, Feb. 18, 2009.
 * Murray Waas, "A U.S. Attorney's Story," the Atlantic, April 20, 2009.

Books and films

 * James Moore and Wayne Slater, Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential, John Wiley & Sons, February 2003. (ISBN 0471423270)
 * Lou Dubose, Jan Reid and Carl M. Cannon, Boy Genius: Karl Rove, the Brains Behind the Remarkable Political Triumph of George W. Bush, January 21, 2003. (ISBN 1586481924)
 * Michael Lind, Made In Texas: George W. Bush and the Southern Takeover of American Politics December 17, 2002 (ISBN 0465041213)
 * Bush's Brain (2004) by filmmakers Michael Paradies Shoob and Joseph Mealey

Profiles and websites

 * Personnel Announcement: Karl Rove to be Assistant to the President, Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, February 8, 2005.


 * Profile: "Karl Rove" at RightWeb (accessed July 4, 2005).
 * "Karl Rove" in the Wikipedia.
 * "Karl Rove" at LookSmart.com.
 * "Karl Rove" at Yahoo.com.
 * "Karl Rove" at PoliticalStrategy.com.
 * "Events Related to Karl Rove" (2001-2005) Harper's Magazine website.
 * College Republican National Committee Alumni page.

This article was created March 13, 2003.

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